Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hills and Dales, Kentucky

Hills and Dales’s own rules

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways and parking pads within the city's public road right-of-way inside Hills and Dales city limits

  • The city commission has sole authority to approve projects in the right-of-way, which runs about 18 feet from the paved road into each yard.
  • Parking pads for off-street parking in the right-of-way are prohibited.
  • Driveways on private lots need written approval from the planning committee under the 1968 declaration of restrictions, a private covenant, not a government permit.

  “the city commission of the city of hills and dales has the sole legal authority to approve such projects and strictly prohibits certain uses of the row such as parking pads for off-street parking of vehicles.”

Rules another office applies inside Hills and Dales

Hills and Dales does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, enlargement, remodeling, change of occupancy, or alteration of a building inside Hills and Dales city limits, as administered by Louisville Metro Construction Review; the rule-maker is Louisville Metro, not the city

  • Permit is required before the work is performed, and construction may proceed after the permit is obtained.
  • Metro's page does not name Hills and Dales city; applicability inside the city rests on the city's statement that residents are subject to Metro codes and regulations. Confirm with Metro Construction Review whether the city is in its permit area.
  • Permit fees and the 180-day permit expiration figures on a third-party site are not verified and are not recorded here.

  “a building permit is required if any owner or authorized agent plans to: construct, enlarge, remodel or change the occupancy of a building as well as erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, or convert a building.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Hills and Dales city limits under the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code as adopted by Louisville Metro (Jefferson County) by Ordinance 150.001; the rule-maker is Louisville Metro, not the city

  • Metro's page states the code applies 'within the metro area' and does not name Hills and Dales city; applicability inside the city rests on the city's statement that residents are subject to Metro codes and regulations.
  • Whether Hills and Dales is within Metro's permit area or a small city issuing permits locally has not been confirmed.

  “adopts the kentucky building code and kentucky residential code in full, making them the official standards for all construction and permitting within the metro area”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work that requires a building permit inside Hills and Dales city limits, as inspected by the Louisville Metro building official; the rule-maker is Louisville Metro, not the city

  • Applies only to work that requires a permit.
  • Metro's page does not name Hills and Dales city; applicability rests on the city's residents-are-subject-to-Metro statement.

  “any construction or work that requires a permit must be inspected by the building official.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hills and Dales or Jefferson County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for work inside Hills and Dales city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for buildings inside Hills and Dales city limits
• Local zoning — Zoning for land inside Hills and Dales city limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Hills and Dales city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Hills and Dales city limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.